European open banking

SimpleFIN for European banks

SimpleFIN is a protocol for sharing read-only financial data. The provider behind a SimpleFIN connection determines which banks are available. Synci is a SimpleFIN source for supported European banks, including for Actual Budget and other compatible apps.

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Separate the protocol from the hosted service

An app’s SimpleFIN support describes how it connects to a data source. It does not mean the app must get that data from one particular hosted service or geography. The protocol defines a setup flow and resources for account and transaction information.

Synci connects your supported bank and supplies a setup token for an app to claim. A SimpleFIN Bridge account is not an extra requirement for those Synci-supplied accounts.

Sources: SimpleFIN: protocol specification

Choose your app’s setup guide

The app determines how imports run, how accounts are mapped, and which fields it uses. Start with its specific guide instead of assuming every SimpleFIN application has the same screens or scheduling.

The shared setup pattern

  1. Connect your bank in Synci

    Check coverage, authorize access, and inspect the accounts that were returned.

  2. Share only the accounts you need

    Create the relevant destination in Synci and choose its account scope.

  3. Claim the token in your finance app

    Paste the setup token into the app’s SimpleFIN settings. The app exchanges it for ongoing access; keep both the token and access credentials private.

  4. Run an import and check the result

    Map accounts, inspect the first transactions, and reconcile the balance before relying on the connection.

Sources: SimpleFIN: protocol specification

Coverage and freshness still come from the source

A SimpleFIN import reads the data the source has available. It does not force a fresh bank request. History depth, card support, and pending transactions depend on the institution and what the receiving app understands.

If you already use a different source, check how many credentials your app supports before replacing them. Back up and review overlapping imports when changing sources; the same real-world transaction may have a different identifier.

Questions and answers

Is SimpleFIN limited to US and Canadian banks?
The protocol is not limited to that geography. Coverage comes from the source. Synci supplies supported European bank data through SimpleFIN.
Do all SimpleFIN apps import automatically?
No. Import scheduling is an application feature. Actual Budget retrieves the available data when you run Bank Sync; other apps can have their own schedules or import tools.

Sources and verification

Checked on 23 September 2026. Provider details can change; follow the linked documentation for current setup requirements. This guide is published by Synci.

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